Mass Effect: Normandy Christmas
by Steampunk Commander Shepard
Summary: The events of this story take place after the destruction of the Collector Base and before the Arrival. This story takes place in the same continuity as my two stories, Mass Effect: Reunion and Mass Effect: Ancestry. This is a fluff/character development story, as well as being a Christmas story. I had intended to post it during the holidays.
1. Chapter 1 Mission Accomplished!

**Mission Accomplished**

After the destruction of the Collector Base, Shepard and Miranda both parted ways with Cerberus. In the days that followed, Shepard gave crewmembers the option to leave if they were still loyal to Cerberus, Shepard offering to drop them off at Illium. Few of the Cerberus crew took him up on it. Zaeed, however, also disembarked at Illium; he had picked up a job, and bid Shepard farewell, vowing to rejoin the fight when Shepard's business on Earth was over and the Reapers finally arrived.

Of the non-Human crew however, only Garrus, Tali, and Thane remained aboard. Samara, freed from her oath of service, thanked the Commander and disembarked at Illium, there to continue her work as a Justicar. And Grunt, Mordin, and Legion disembarked at Illium as well; Grunt to return to Tuchanka, Mordin to Sur'Kesh, and Legion to return to Geth space. Garrus, Tali, and Thane stayed on for different reasons; Shepard would take Thane to the Citadel so that he could reunite with his son and begin life under a new identity, and Tali and Garrus intending to go all the way to Earth with Shepard and testify on his behalf prior to returning to Migrant Fleet and Palaven respectively. Even Jack, rebel that she was, volunteered to join them; it seemed that she had finally made friends that she trusted.

It was late December, and they would reach the Citadel before the week was out, something that Miranda and Shepard were dreading; Miranda, Jacob, and all of the now ex-Cerberus crew would leave along with Thane, all of them wanted by both the Alliance _and_ Cerberus. The Normandy would then head to Earth, Shepard to stand trial. The ship felt empty, and the mood was depressing. Not only did a military tribunal await the Commander due to his time spent with Cerberus, but all knew that the Reaper Invasion was imminent.


	2. Chapter 2 With a Heavy Heart

**With a Heavy Heart**

With the Collector Base destroyed and most of his team having disembarked on Illiium, Shepard had ordered the ship to the Citadel, there to separate from Miranda and the now ex-Cerberus crew. This was the longest he had been in space in one stretch since taking down Saren, and that mission was broken up by return trips to the Citadel and a return to regular duty at the end. The Collector mission was different; he was legally dead, had few allies on the Citadel, and with the mission complete, he had no regular duty to return to, and a ship full of people who could not go with him to Earth, Miranda the first among them. Were they to accompany Shepard to Earth, the ex-Cerberus crew would all disappear into privatized prisons, there to undergo whatever interrogation methods Alliance Intelligence deemed necessary to extract information about the terrorist group. And he could not bear the thought of what they would do to Miranda; they would remove her amp and dissect her to see what Henry Lawson had built. Or worse, just send her back to Lawson after they had tortured her and gotten as much useful information from her as they could. No, he would not allow that to happen, even though parting with her just killed him.

And then, how do you process watching people liquefied and processed into the life blood of a Reaper? He had destroyed the Collector Base. That he did not trust the Illusive Man was the absolute truth, but that was not the only reason. Destroying that base was the only way that he could find justice for those people and be able to sleep at night. It had only half worked; he found justice for those people, but it had not helped him to sleep, not by itself.

He heard a soft moan next to him, and could feel the warm presence of Miranda. She turned over, still sleeping, and came to rest with her head on his shoulder and her arm across his chest. He pulled her close and she emitted a soft purr as she fell back into deep sleep. Miranda was the one thing that had helped him keep his sanity and made it possible for him to sleep at night. It was not a hundred percent, as evinced by him lying awake pondering his actions, but with her, his vision was always clear, his mind settled. Miranda slept peacefully, her gentle breathing and softly beating heart bringing rest to his troubled spirit, and soon, the Commander himself had drifted off into the realm of dreams, ensconced in Miranda's warm presence. It was like being in Heaven. He slept through the night, untroubled by the nightmares that had begun to plague his sleep before the assault on the Collector Base. The nightmares had ceased that night he met Miranda in the engine room; she had been by his side every night since then. He dreamt of a long life with her, now oblivious to the impending tribunal that would await him on Earth.

#

Miranda had slept very well the night before, but she knew that Shepard had not. She found it ironic that during the day, it was now Shepard who was preparing reports and handling administrative issues while Miranda, no longer reporting to the Illusive Man had little to do. So it was the two were never at peace at the same time; Miranda restless during the day while Shepard was occupied, and Shepard restless at night when tasks and company no longer held his worries at bay. She pondered the irony of this, but also had noticed that Shepard had not been the same. In the weeks following the destruction of the Collector Base, he had become emotionally drained. An air of depression hung about him, and while he always lit up when she was around, she knew that he was suffering emotionally.

Miranda found herself doing something she normally would never do; going to a yeoman for advice. Or more specifically, having the yeoman come to her. She had called Yeoman Kelly Chambers to her cabin to discuss the matter privately. Kelly was the ship's resident councilor, and had the most detailed observations on Shepard's emotional state through the course of the mission, reporting on the Commander to the Illusive Man. Now, like Miranda, she no longer reported to the Illusive Man.

The normally perky yeoman nervously entered Miranda's cabin when Miranda signaled the door to open and allow her entry. She saluted the senior officer, but Miranda merely half saluted, half waved back.

"Please, take a seat Yeoman Chambers." Miranda smiled as warmly as she could. Kelly's countenance seemed to settle at this. Thane had been the first to comment on Miranda's changes after she and Shepard had begun their relationship. Prior to Shepard, Miranda was never truly warm, and even when she was smiling, she was still cold. Now, she was noticing that when she smiled, people responded differently than before. They tended to be more comfortable in her presence. Thane had said that her being truly in love was something that radiated from her entire being, changing the way that others on the ship viewed her. She ceased her reminiscing and began her meeting with Kelly. "Do you know why I called you to my cabin, Yeoman?"

"No ma'am," replied the younger woman. "Is everything alright?"

Miranda sighed, slouching a little in her seat as she deflated slightly. Where to start? She decided to start at the beginning.

"No, it isn't," replied Miranda softly. "I'm worried about Shepard."

"Glad to see that someone besides me has noticed," said Kelly. "I think he's suffering from PTSD, depression, and any number of other issues common to combat veterans. And after what we've just gone through, that's hardly surprising. I fear for my own mental and emotional health after that ordeal, Miss Lawson."

"Pretty much everyone aboard the Normandy is in the same boat, no pun intended," observed Miranda. "But what do we do about it?"

"You know, the Commander is somewhat religious," noted Kelly. "And everyone could use a pick-me-up. And since we're in the last week of December, there's something that we can do that would really help a lot of the crew and would definitely be good for Shepard.

"What's that?"

"Miss Lawson, you mean you don't know?" Kelly asked, looking and sounding shocked.

"Yeoman Chambers," said Miranda sharply, "I brought you here so that I could get answers. If I already knew, I wouldn't have bothered, now would I?"

"I'm sorry, Miss Lawson," demurred Kelly. "But I thought you would have made the connection. This is the time of year that we humans celebrate a variety of holidays. Hanukkah is celebrated by some of our crew, but many, even those without strong religious beliefs, celebrate around Christmastime. And Shepard, while not what I would call observant, is religious. He's talked about Christmas with his family in passing, mentioning that he and his mother still try to get together at Christmastime, though sometimes they can only do so through video-chat. He can't do that this year, so he really has no one to celebrate with."

"200 IQ and I still missed it," sighed Miranda, shaking her head. "It never would have occurred to me; the only family tradition that I grew up with was being browbeat for merely 'meeting' impossibly high standards. Sometimes it feels as though I spend my entire life feeling like a failure because of it, even when I know that I've been enormously successful. But maybe that's changing. Thanks, Yeoman; you just gave me an idea."


	3. Chapter 3 Holiday Cheer

**Holiday Cheer**

"You want to … I'm sorry, Miranda," said Garrus, "could you repeat that?"

"I want to have a holiday party," said Miranda. "It's Christmastime, and Shepard celebrates Christmas, as do quite a few of our now ex-Cerberus crew. What? Don't tell me that Turians don't have holidays."

"We do," replied Garrus, "but nothing like what you humans do. Still, if it's a party, then I suppose that there's food and drink?"

"Sergeant Gardner still has enough provisions left to make a nice Christmas dinner," Miranda informed him. "And yes, there will be alcoholic beverages. But really, Garrus, this is for Shepard. I'm worried about him. I'm coordinating with you because, well, you're his best friend."

"I've never given it much consideration," said Garrus, looking back at her thoughtfully. He had not really thought about it, but he realized that she was right; he and Shepard were the best of friends. In fact, Shepard was truly Garrus' very best friend. There was not a Turian on Palaven or off of it to whom he was as close as he was to Shepard. "How very unlikely, but you're right. So what's the plan?"

"A party, and a bloody good one before he goes back to Earth," said Miranda. "Believe me, he won't be celebrating anything once he gets there."

"No, I suppose not," lamented Garrus. "So what did you have in mind?"

"I was thinking we could hold it in the mess," said Miranda. "I'd like to decorate, but we don't have any means of doing that, and … well we can't even exchange gifts."

"You exchange gifts?"

"Of course, Garrus; It's Christmas."

"Tell me what this … Christmas is," Garrus requested.

"Oh … well, it's like … Um … oh, bloody Hell Garrus, I don't know," she said with frustration. "My father didn't participate in such things; he considered them frivolous." She folded her arms, flounced into the chair by Garrus' work bench and pouted. "My childhood really sucked, you know."

"I've gathered that," said Garrus, "but I assume that you at least know what the general concept of the holiday is."

"Christmas celebrates the birth of Christ," began Miranda. "The concept is that God sent an avatar of Himself into the physical world to show humankind how to treat each other and how to love one another. This avatar was the person of Jesus, the Christ, Christ being a Greek word meaning, 'Anointed One.' At his birth, Jesus' parents had traveled from their home in Nazareth to the distant town of Bethlehem in order to participate in the Roman census. But because there were no rooms available, they stayed in a manger, where Jesus' mother, Mary, had her baby. There were three kings who had been following a star, which led them to the manger in Bethlehem, where they gave gifts and paid the child homage."

"Sounds like a nice story," said Garrus. "So, this religion revolving around a man who taught love and kindness; did your people forget his lessons?"

"I'm not sure we ever really learned them," she laughed somewhat bitterly. "The two millennia after this promising event have been a tableau of near constant war and conflict. And as you can see from recent events, not only do we still kill each other, but we've taken our capacity for war into space and engaged in it with your own people."

"We were as much to blame as you were," remarked Garrus. "And war is considered an honorable enterprise among my own, so I can't really criticize. So what happened to him? This Jesus fellow, I mean."

"He became an itinerant preacher who traveled the countryside healing the sick and preaching forgiveness and repentance, and of the kingdom of Heaven," Miranda explained. "The religious authorities of his day were threatened by his message, so they conspired to have him executed. Ironically, one of his major tenets was love of one's enemy."

"Peace and love make nice sentiments," said Garrus, "but war makes nice profits, and most would rather have something they can take to the bank than to lay up treasure in heaven."

"Sadly true," she agreed.

"We have a holiday that involves the giving of gifts in honor of our solar spirit, Trebanus," said Garrus. "It isn't celebrated in your December, but it's similar to the Saturnalia of your Roman Empire."

"How is it that you know about that, but not about Christmas?" Miranda asked with surprise.

"When Shepard displayed a greater level of insight into Turian culture, I asked him if he had studied it," Garrus explained. "He said that he had not in depth, but that much of what he did know reminded him of Roman society. When I looked into it further, I found that he was right. I also found it very reassuring; our two cultures share more common ground than I had previously thought. So, any idea as to when we have this party?"

"I was thinking Thursday, the day after tomorrow," she declared. "Not much preparation to do, as we have no holiday décor to put up. Sergeant Gardner will simply need some time to prepare the food, though I ran it by him and he indicated that Thursday would be plenty of lead time."

"Right," said Garrus. "I'll make sure to have everything calibrated, and then I'll see what I can come up with to add to the festivities. Tell you what, Miranda; I'll coordinate with Tali and Thane if you get the humans in."

"Thanks, Garrus," she said appreciatively. "It means a lot to me. I just want to see him happy and carefree, if only for a few hours."

#

"It is not my belief," said Thane, "but an observance of the spiritual aboard this ship would be a refreshing change."

"I don't know how much religious observance there will be," replied Garrus with a chuckle. "Unless you consider imbibing alcohol a religious act."

"Peace on Earth, good will toward men," mused Thane. "I like the sentiment, though I would hope that in our mixed group, it might be said, 'Peace in the galaxy, good will towards all people."

"I think that if that phrase comes up, we can accommodate that change," said Garrus. "I know Shepard would not object."

"No, I imagine not," agreed Thane. "However, like your own culture, the Drell have a holiday that involves the exchange of gifts; this will be as close to observing it as I will have been in many years. Very well; inform Miranda that I shall be in attendance."

"Thanks, Thane. It means a lot to her."

Thane smiled to himself as Garrus left. _This will be nice_, he thought. It would place him in the right frame of mind for meeting Kolyat again for the first time since Thane and Shepard had turned him from away from the life of a hired assassin. Their parting had been cordial, but only just so. Either way, it was a start. With the Collector Base taken care of, Thane was free to devote all of the energy of his last days to mending the rift between him and his son.

#

Gabby, Ken, Jack, and Tali were on a coffee break playing Skyllian Five when Garrus entered engineering. Tali waved him over, saying,

"Garrus, come join us!"

"Tempting," he said. "But first, I came to discuss the party. Ken, Gabby, has Miranda said anything to you?"

"Not yet," replied Ken. "But if there's a party to be had, Gabby and I will be there."

"That's right," said Gabby. "After being packaged up by the Collectors, only to be rescued by Shepard, I think celebrating is a good thing."

"I agree," said Garrus. "Though, this was prompted by Miranda as a way to cheer up the Commander."

"No wonder he's depressed," remarked Jack. "He's stuck with the cheerleader. Give 'im to me for a few nights. He'll cheer up."

"Very funny," said Garrus sarcastically. "But no, Miranda's not the reason. You know this entire mission has been one difficult decision after another. Frankly, I don't know that I could have done it as gracefully. Or without killing a few people I wasn't supposed to. And I certainly wouldn't have humored the team in their personal missions the way that Shepard did. Even I took advantage of his kindness in my efforts to hunt down Sidonis. We owe him a lot, all of us."

"I know," said Jack. "So give 'im to me for a few nights. I'll pay him back and then some. Send him right back to the cheerleader with big smile and a whole new attitude."

"Oh yeah," laughed Tali. "Then Joker would film you and Miranda trying to kill each other and post it all over the extranet."

Garrus got annoyed and wrapped the table hard with his fist.

"Come on, people," he said tersely. "He's done more for us than anyone, especially you, Jack. So let's show some respect. Party is the day after tomorrow. Be there." Garrus turned and exited engineering, leaving engineering's four denizens to stare at each other in disbelief. They had never seen Garrus scold anyone for cutting up.

"Damn," exclaimed Jack with a laugh, "Joker's right; he really does have a stick up his ass!"


	4. Chapter 4 Leave Nothing Unsaid

**Leave Nothing Unsaid**

Miranda had spoken to all of the human crew save one; Jeff Moreau. For the most part, she simply sent out an e-mail, but some of the crew she wanted to invite in person. Joker was one of them. Right before the mission, she had spoken some very harsh words to him, words that she now regretted. She managed to find time when Shepard was not on deck and made her way to the CIC. The crew took note of her presence; she rarely set foot in the CIC. Kelly Chambers saluted her and said,

"Good afternoon ma'am!"

"Yeoman Chambers," said Miranda, giving Kelly a tiny smile. As she made her way to the cockpit, other crewmen greeted her, surprise on their faces at the sight of her on the command deck. She acknowledged them, nodding and smiling. It was unnatural for her; these were not people she interacted with normally. Miranda had always held herself above the regular crew, distant and aloof. Now, she was a fugitive with no real authority. She had once said to the Illusive Man that Shepard was "a hero, a bloody icon." People would follow Shepard because he was Shepard. Miranda was just that person Cerberus had placed on the ship to keep an eye on the Alliance hero. She was a bit surprised at how warmly they greeted her. Finally, she stepped into the cockpit.

"Good afternoon, Operative Lawson," said Edi with her synthesized voice.

"Edi," replied Miranda, not sure how Joker's unshackling of the AI would affect its personality and behavior. "Mister Moreau."

"Oh crap," said Joker with resignation. "What'd I do now?"

Miranda took the seat next to him and smiled as warmly as she could manage. The flippant pilot was the sort of person that she would never socialize with outside of a work environment, and certainly not someone she would strike up a friendship with. But after what they had all been through together, they were not the same people any longer. Miranda had begun to question Cerberus' methods and goals, and the Illusive Man's interest in Humanity, culminating in her casting aside her loyalty for Cerberus when the Illusive Man forced her to choose between Cerberus and Shepard. She chose Shepard, and in doing so, had begun a new chapter in her life.

"Nothing," she said. "I came up here to discuss the holiday party."

"Damn, I thought you'd have just sent an e-mail."

"To the rest of the crew, I did," she replied. "But I wanted to talk to you in person."

"Okay …" He had no idea what to say to that, so he turned to face her and waited for her to begin.

"Mister Moreau," she began, but he had to cut her off.

"Joker," he corrected. "Please just call me Joker. Nobody calls me 'Mister Moreau,' not even Shepard, and he's the captain!"

"Very well," said Miranda, uncomfortable with such informality. "Joker … I wanted to … apologize for biting your head off after the Collectors abducted the crew. I was … upset and you did not deserve that. Your performance on the mission was flawless, and I have not taken the time to tell you that."

Joker could not believe it. So there was a human being inside of that cold exterior after all. _No_, he thought, _it didn't begin today_. Indeed, ever since Shepard had helped her rescue Oriana, Miranda had softened up a bit, if only just a bit. Since the suicide mission, she had been softer. She had also been somewhat unsettled when not in Shepard's presence, like she was no longer sure of herself.

"Thanks," he said cautiously. "That means a lot coming from you."

"You've earned it," she replied. "Mister … I mean Joker, I'm not good at this. You're a pilot, and I simply expected you to do your job. But now, we've all been through something together that … that makes us more than just officers and subordinates. With Cerberus, it was always about the cause. Since being on this ship with Shepard, it's like … I don't know … family?"

"Yeah, I guess it is," said Joker. "But that's how it was on the original Normandy when Shepard commanded her. I mean, we were a team, all of us. He knew all of the crew; he mingled with them and talked to them. Just like he does here. You know, he knows all of them on this ship too. All of the crew, I mean. Some on a first name basis. Yeoman Chambers is just Kelly to him. Hadley, Mathews, Hawthorne, Goldstein, Ken and Gabby, Rupert; they're all part of the team. He talks to them all. It's not just about his squad. You don't see that, though because you're all about the missions and big picture stuff."

"Well, someone has to be," she retorted.

"Yeah," said Joker, "but he did all that as the Normandy's skipper and maintained good relations with the crew."

Miranda was quiet for a few long moments. She knew that he was right; Shepard had been focused on the big picture and the missions while still maintaining a connection to the people doing the day to day routine work. He was like a captain from the vids, whose crew could all come and talk to him about anything, however mundane or however personal. She wondered how many captains would have humored their officers and squad by diverting the ship to handle things like Ori's move or Jacob's father. Or Mordin's old assistant. Those were all personal things. And yet, Shepard had honored them all. Behind the heroic exterior was a very loving and caring man. _That's why I love him_, she thought.

"Joker, I'm not Shepard," she said. "I'm the way that I am for a reason, but I'm not just what you see on the surface."

"No, I guess not," he conceded. "I'm not either, but you already knew that; we wouldn't be having this conversation if you didn't. So; holiday party."

"Yes, holiday party," she laughed. "Sergeant Gardner is preparing the meal. We'll have it in the mess hall; it's for everyone. Normally, there'd be decorations and gift exchanging, but nobody can buy anything. Shepard's been depressed and I really want to cheer him up before …" Then she got very quiet, and said, "… before we all part ways."

"You're breaking up with …"

"NO," Miranda exclaimed, cutting him off. "Not in a million years. He's the best thing that's ever happened to me. But I cannot go to Earth, Joker; I'm wanted by the Alliance. And now, Cerberus will be gunning for me, and they'll make sure that every alien that hates Cerberus knows about me." She shook her head and felt her eyes misting over. "God, I want to be there, at his side when he faces the Alliance, to testify, to tell them that … Shepard was never Cerberus. But I can't. No, we'll never be together if I go back there; I'd never see the light of day again. We just have to hope … and maybe pray … that when this is all over, we'll see each other again." Then her eyes filled with determination. "That's why this is so important. It's the last thing that I can do for him before we separate. And it's the last thing that I can do for the crew … for all of you."

"I'll be there," said Joker. "And thanks, Miranda. Not just for coming up here and talking to me, but for being there for him. He really loves you, Miranda. And it's good to see that you really love him."

She smiled to herself and then said, "I do; more than anything."

#

Jacob and Shepard sat in the armory. They had gone through the inventory of weapons, armor, thermal clips, and related equipment.

"That should do it, Shepard," said Jacob, pouring a cup of coffee. "I brewed up a pot of the good stuff, so help yourself."

"Thanks, Jacob," said Shepard, pouring himself one as well. The two men sat down, taking a break from their work and enjoying the fresh coffee.

"Can't believe this is it," lamented Jacob, shaking his head. "We've done our job and now we're all either gonna be on the run or facing a court martial. Man, I don't envy you, Shepard."

"I've got a few friends in high places looking out for me," Shepard laughed, "and Garrus, Tali, Joker, Doctor Chakwas, and Jack of all people will be testifying on my behalf. And I think bringing the Alliance a Normandy SR-2 as peace offering will count for something."

"True that! But damn, Shepard, you shouldn't even have to deal with any of this; it's all bullshit. Damn politicians."

"Politicians are the weeds of the galaxy," said Shepard. "So Jacob, you know about this holiday party?"

"You know about that?" Jacob chuckled; he knew that Miranda wanted to surprise Shepard, though how she thought she could keep secrets from a Spectre was beyond him.

"Don't worry, Jacob," Shepard assured him. "I'll act like I don't know."

"Please do; you know how Miranda is, Shepard. She wants this to work out. She's doing it for you, you know? And if things don't go well, she'll beat herself up for months over it. She's strong, but she holds herself to standard that nobody can meet, not even her."

"Tell me about it," said Shepard. "She's her own worst enemy; some of the things she blames herself for really cause her pain because of it. Even when Nikett betrayed her, she blamed herself."

"What about you, Shepard? You okay? She's really worried about you. So is the Yeoman and Doctor Chakwas. Chambers says you've got PTSD and severe depression."

"Who on this ship doesn't?"

"I know," agreed Jacob, shaking his head. "How do you get that shit out of your head? Watching those poor colonists get processed … that one girl who was awake as it happened to her … it's brutal man, just brutal."

"Where are you going after we hit the Citadel?" asked Shepard, abruptly changing the subject.

"I don't know," replied Jacob. "I've prepared my report on everything that happened. God knows, I learned how do fill out reports according to Alliance standards when I served. I've given it to Garrus to make sure it gets presented. Miranda probably has one for him too, though I don't know if she's finished it just yet. She likes things to be just so."

"Yeah, I know how that is," laughed Shepard, smiling as he thought of Miranda.

"After that," Jacob continued, "I don't know what I'll be doing. Might head to the colonies, and help out with rebuilding. Or who knows? Maybe I'll work my way back to Earth and slide in under the radar. I hear Spain is nice this time of year."

"Wouldn't know," Shepard declared. "Never been to Europe."

"Wow, Shepard! You'd think the most famous human in the galaxy would have at least been to Europe once."

"I grew up on ships, Jacob. My mom is an Alliance captain, you know. Never even saw Earth until I was twelve, and that was only because of my father's funeral."

"Yeah, sorry about that. I hear he was a good man."

"He was," Shepard agreed. "He died doing what he loved."

"How did he die?"

"Keeping the engines on the Alliance cruiser Hastings going during an ambush by Batarian pirates. My mother was part of the bridge crew on that ship; his actions made it possible for the Hastings to stay in the fight and take those bastards down before returning home. He lived just long enough to say goodbye to us."

"Damn." Jacob shook his head. Then he realized, "Wait Shepard, you must have been on that ship too!"

"Yeah; it was early on in the Alliance Interstellar Family Initiative. The ship went back to Earth, and I visited my extended family for the first time since I was an infant, and even then, my grandparents, aunts and uncles all came to Arcturus to visit us. When my father died, the funeral was in my parents' hometown of St. Ignace, in Michigan. Thankfully, it was summer. It was a beautiful place. Maybe I'll be able to get back there after all this is over."

"Maybe," acknowledged Jacob. "It would be nice."

"Yeah," said Shepard, "and if you make it to Spain, hit the beaches. I hear they're a real hotspot."

"You got it, Shepard!"

The two men raised their mugs and drank to an uncertain future. That's when Kelly's voice called to Shepard over the intercom.

"Commander Shepard, there's an incoming message for you from Admiral Steven Hackett."

"I'll take it in my quarters, Kelly. Thanks."

#

"I'll make it a priority sir," Shepard assured Admiral Hackett as Miranda entered his cabin.

"The prison is hidden underground at a Batarian outpost at Aratoht," Hackett explained. "I'll upload the coordinates now. Once she's secure, confirm her discovery. We'll debrief you when you're back."

"Got it," Shepard replied.

"Hackett out." With that, the connection was cut.

John turned to Miranda as Hackett's image faded from the vid-com. She stood motionless, seemingly in shock. He knew that she had just heard him accept a mission from Admiral Hackett.

"A deep cover operative, Amanda Kenson, has been captured by Batarians," he explained. "She's in an underground prison on Aratoht in the Bahak system; she's found proof of an imminent Reaper invasion. I need to go in alone, quietly, and get her out and confirm her proof."

She was shaking her head, an expression of bitter sorrow on her beautiful face. He pulled her close, gently kissing her, and she responded by holding him tightly.

"It's never enough," she cried. "They won't be satisfied until you've spent your last breath in their defense. All while they sit on their cowardly backsides and do nothing."

"Miranda, this is what you brought me back to do: Fight the Reapers."

"Shepard, you haven't even gone back to Earth yet and they're already digging their claws into you," she cried. "This is our time, not theirs!"

"You know it's not that simple. I love you, Miranda, more than anyone I've ever loved. I want you. I want you by my side, to grow old with you, and maybe have a family. But none of that will ever happen with the threat of the Reapers looming over our heads. My actions at the Citadel two years ago delayed them; nothing more. The Collector base demonstrated that they're moving and acting, every second of every day.

"And you and I both know that the Illusive Man is very likely indoctrinated, giving the Reapers an ally even more powerful than Saren."

Miranda pulled away and walked to the bed. She sat down, practically collapsing, and hung her head in her hands, crying.

"There's another … problem," she cried. "Why? Why can't we just have each other and love each other for the rest of our days? Why do you need more …"

Shepard sat down and put his arm around her.

"Miranda, what are you getting at?"

She lifted her head and turned to him, looking at him tearfully.

"You want … the one thing I cannot give you," she sobbed. "A family, children."

"Miranda?"

"Shepard, the one flaw in my father's work is that I am barren," she explained through the tears. "I cannot conceive a child, no matter how much I want to. And believe me, I do want to raise a family with you."

He pulled her close and held her tightly, reassuringly. He gently kissed the top of her head as she cried in his arms.

"Miranda," he soothed, "I want you regardless. You're all the family that I need. I love you. You love me. That is enough."

She lifted her head, looking him in the eyes.

"You mean that? You really mean that?"

"Yes, Miranda. I mean it."

His words were like music to her ears. It still bothered her that she could not give him children, but to hear him say that he wanted her, just her, regardless, lifted a weight from her that she had thought would never lift. She was overcome with love for him and began kissing him hungrily. He responded, kissing her deeply. They undressed each other quickly and soon found themselves lost in passion. Time seemed to stand still as they made love. No Reapers, no Collectors, no galaxy to save; just the love they shared.

For the next hour, they forgot about commitments and duty. Those things would keep, waiting impatiently for them when they would finally return to the world of Reapers and Alliance tribunals. For now, though, it was just them.


	5. Chapter 5 Twas the Night Before Christma

**Twas the Night before Christmas**

With Shepard's impending mission to Aratoht, Miranda decided to move the time of the party up. It was fitting; it was Christmas Eve, after all. She had quietly circulated the change in plans to the rest of the crew once Rupert had assured her that he would have the food ready. As she made preparations for the party, Thane joined her.

'Miss Lawson," he said courteously, joining her in setting up the mess. "I received your update. How may I be of assistance?"

"After all we've been through, just call me Miranda," she replied, a broad smile on her face.

"Very well, Miranda," he said. Then he noted, "You seem happier today, more carefree."

"I am," she beamed. "Something happened yesterday; I finally knew in my heart what I knew in my head; that I'm good enough. For so long, I've allowed my father's creation of me to define me, and allowed Cerberus to define the life I lead. But I realized yesterday that Shepard was right; it isn't the gifts that I was engineered with or Cerberus' use of those gifts that define me. He loves me unconditionally. I've never had that; could not accept that. But yesterday, I finally did. Whatever happens, wherever the future takes us, I am finally free of the damage inflicted upon me by Henry Lawson."

"I imagine your sister, Oriana, loves you unconditionally as well," noted Thane. "But there is more; just as the Reapers represent a reality beyond our comprehension, so to do the various spiritual beliefs of sentient beings throughout the galaxy. There is a realm beyond the physical, and when our bodies die, our spirits will live on, journeying to that realm. It is a place where we will experience unconditional love, where we will see clearly, and love without barriers. But more importantly, the love we will experience then is something that we can touch in the here and now."

Spirituality and metaphysics were hardly Miranda's strong suit. She had long ago written such things off as comforts for the ignorant. Now, though, she was not so sure. Reapers demonstrated that the minds of those people who had been processed lived on somehow. Perhaps trapped in the shell of the malevolent beings known as Reapers and prevented from moving onto the realm Thane spoke of, they experienced an existence of endless despair, fear, and anger. She found it ironic that such a twisted existence of those harvested by the Reapers had enabled her to understand Thane's words. She considered asking him what he thought of the souls taken by the Reapers, but she decided against it; they had a party to prepare for and theological debate could wait for another time. Instead, she simply said,

"Thank you, Thane. That is very reassuring. I had not thought about Oriana. The love of a sister. That's a first for me as well."

"You have a long life ahead of you, Miranda," said Thane encouragingly. "Many good things await you. Treasure every moment; when you near the end, it will not be the things you did, but that which you did not do that will weigh heavily upon you. I learned that the hard way. Thankfully, I still have time, however limited, to do some of them."

#

The entire crew put in a little extra effort during the day, so that when the evening finally came, the only obligation left was the party. Edi made sure that the Normandy would not be in need of any of the crew. Garrus had locked himself away in the gunnery, finally coming out with a six foot tall cylindrical gun rack. Jacob joined him, bringing as many guns from the armory as he could. Miranda walked in just as Jacob and Garrus had placed the last of the guns on the structure; largest on the bottom and smaller ones at the top, forming a Christmas tree of sorts made from guns.

"Impressive," said Miranda, genuinely surprised by their ingenuity.

"Oh, but here's the best part," said Garrus, activating his omni tool. Suddenly, the laser sites on the guns lit up, as did the large flashlight at the top of the tree, making it resemble a lit tree with a star on top. "Even better than a real tree, don't you think?"

"Came out even better than I thought it would," remarked Jacob.

"Now, Jacob, hand me eight of those Talon pistols and one Carnifex," said Garrus. "I have one more decoration." Garrus then placed a rack about two feet long on top of the ledge by the med bay window and took the guns as Jacob handed them to him. He placed the large Carnifex in the center and the eight small Talon pistols in, four on either side of the large Carnifex. Turning on the laser sites, the finished product was a menorah made from pistols. "There; I believe that covers the major holidays celebrated by most of the crew members."

"What about your holiday, Garrus?" asked Miranda.

"We celebrate Tebanustine in what would be your spring," Garrus explained. "Our winters don't really coincide with yours. I was still lowering the crime rate on Omega at the time. The Drell holidays also have already occurred, though Thane indicated that they don't decorate as you humans like to. In any case, this is a human ship; I thought it simpler to stick with your holidays."

"Very well," said Miranda. "Thane and I have already set up the tables and chairs, and Rupert is putting the finishing touches on the food. We'll set it up to be buffet style, so we won't need to do place settings. Other than that, the crew should start filtering in in a little over an hour. All we need to do is keep Shepard out until party time."

"I'm sure you can arrange an appropriately enticing distraction," Garrus remarked. "Jacob, Thane, Doctor Chakwas, and I can handle the alcohol and helping Sergeant Gardner get the food out."

"Yeah, Miranda," said Jacob with a smile. "We got it covered."

"Alright then," she replied. "I'll bring Shepard down in an hour and a half. That should be time for festivities to begin and for you make the crew ready to greet our skipper as he enters."

"We will see you then, Miss Lawson," said Thane, slipping back to his more formal means of address. "And do not worry; all will be ready upon your arrival."

"Thank you, all of you," said Miranda. "I could not have done this without you."

#

Miranda had managed to trap Shepard in her office to painstakingly go over her report. Shepard was amazed at the level of detail and the insights she had made regarding Cerberus. Her report was no fluff piece; Miranda had composed a concise and detailed record of the events that had taken place from Shepard's reconstruction through the Collector Base's destruction. She had included her initial ambivalence to Shepard, the steady erosion of her trust in the Illusive Man, and how Shepard had, at every turn, remained both a Council Spectre and an Alliance soldier. Her report also included the accomplishments of the multi-species squad, detailing the heroism and sacrifices made by each of them over the course of the mission.

Her description of the Collector Base was the most detailed portion of the report, and it was very hard for Shepard to read it. As they discussed it, he could see that it had been hard for her to write it as well. Even talking about it was difficult. Miranda's report had a level of scientific detail that Shepard's did not; she did have a scientific background, after all, and this informed many of her observations, observations that somehow made it all the more monstrous. Finally, he put it down and said,

"Enough."

"Shepard?"

"I said enough; I … I can't read this anymore. I lived through it, and did my own report on it; enough. I can't deal with this anymore. Not right now. After Sovereign, Saren and the Geth, then fighting the Collectors and seeing what the Reapers did to the Protheans … were doing to us … I can read it, talk about, or even think about it."

"Shepard," Miranda protested, "They'll make you go through all of this when you go back to Earth. They'll make you go over every minute detail, every minor account. You have to be …"

Shepard suddenly pulled her close and kissed her passionately. For a moment, Miranda resisted, not pleased to be cut off mid-sentence, but then she surrendered, kissing him in return.

"Shepard," she finally said after a few moments of kissing, "what brought that on?"

"I had to get away from thinking about the Collectors and the Reapers. Had to get to the one place where I'm sane, and that's you, Miranda. I don't want to talk about Collectors and Reapers any longer."

"But Shepard, they'll grille you with …"

""I know what they'll do," he retorted. "I went through it after the Blitz, Torfan, Sovereign, and everything that went with Sovereign. I'm prepared to deal with the Alliance, and when the time comes to answer for what I've been doing out here, believe me, I'll be ready. But in a few short days, you'll be gone."

"Shepard, please," she protested. "I can't deal with that! Collectors and Reapers; hard facts I can deal with. Once I'm away from you, nothing will be certain. I need to help you, to know that I've given you as much ammunition as possible for this tribunal."

"You have, Miranda," he assured her. "You have; I need to know that when it's all over, after the last Reaper falls, that I'll see you again; that we'll be together."

"Shepard, I …" Miranda turned away, sadness suddenly overcoming her. "Shepard, neither of us know what's going to happen. I can't make that assurance; Cerberus will be trying to kill me, the Alliance may try to use you as a scapegoat, and the Reapers will be here soon, bringing with them the bloodiest war this galaxy has ever seen. If Cerberus and the Alliance don't seal our fates, the Reapers just might."

"You think I don't know that?" he asked, exasperation in his voice. "Miranda, I know those things better than anyone else. But … but I must have faith that we'll be together. Promise me that when this is over, you'll be waiting for me. Just knowing that will keep me going, keep me sane."

"Shepard …" she faltered for a moment, but then the renewed confidence she had felt after their last conversation suddenly returned. "Faith ... I've never put much stock in it, but I do have faith in you, Shepard. There is no other, and there's no force in the galaxy that can take my love for you away. Yes, Shepard, I promise. I promise you that I'll be there waiting for you on the other side of all this."

"And I promise that when this is all over, I'll find you."

The determination in his eyes cemented her confidence. It was that same look he had when he spoke to the crew before taking down the Collectors. Shepard was ready to do whatever it took to get through this to be with her. In that moment, she knew that however long it took, he would see it through. She kissed him and held him tightly. Finally, she said,

"Come on Shepard; there's something I want to show you." She stood an offered her hand.

"Miranda?"

"Come on. You'll like this, and I think the time is right."

He took her hand and stood. The two walked out of her cabin and into the mess where a loud cry of "Merry Christmas!" went up from the crew.


	6. Chapter 6 Party Time!

**Party time!**

Shepard was genuinely surprised; he knew the party was coming, but the date change had not registered with him. The gun rack tree and menorah were a nice touch, he thought, and it looked as though Rupert had outdone himself, using the last of the supplies that Shepard had picked up on the Citadel prior to beginning his investigations into the colony disappearances. Miranda caught his surprise and squeezed him tightly.

"It wasn't easy to get this put together without you finding out," she said proudly.

"You've outdone yourself Miranda," he replied, kissing her. "This … this is just what we needed!"

Indeed, the entire crew looked relaxed, as though a weight had been lifted from them. No, they could never go back to life before the Reapers and life before the Collectors; too much had been lost, too much had happened. But they could all know that they had not only gone through the ordeal, but had come out better for it. It was then that Crewman Hadley approached Shepard and Miranda.

"Thank you," he said, his voice filled with emotion. "Thank you for coming to get us."

"Anytime," replied Shepard, shaking his hand. "Anytime."

Hadley's sentiment was shared by all of the crew; Shepard and his squad had embarked on a suicide mission to get them back, and Shepard had even divided his squad so that he could be sure that his crew was safely returned to the Normandy. While everyone had thanked the Commander, the crew all took time during the party to individually express their gratitude. And it was not just Shepard who received the thanks; Miranda, Garrus, Thane, Jacob, Tali, and Jack were all thanked as well. The sight of the ex-Cerberus crew thanking the alien Garrus, Thane, and Tali uplifted Shepard. At the outset, they had been minions of the xenophobic pro-human organization. But after the Collector Base, they remembered that a squad composed of a majority of aliens had been there with Shepard to bring them home and then to bring down the Collectors. Shepard's spirit was buoyed as hope for the future seemed just a bit brighter.

The couple's romance was by now known to the crew as a whole, and not being military, they had no concerns regarding fraternization rules. Thus they had become more openly affectionate with each other, holding hands as they went to get their food.

"Commander Shepard, Miss Lawson," said Rupert, opening his arms as though he meant to embrace them. "You two are the best! And that human-alien squad you two have put together is all aces in my book! It was my pleasure to prepare this meal. Thank you!"

"Anytime, Rupert," replied Shepard, shaking the cook's hand. "I'm gonna miss you, all of you, when this is over."

"We're a Cerberus crew, Commander," said Rupert Gardner with surprise. "Thought you'd be keen to get back with an Alliance crew."

"You're not a 'Cerberus crew,' Rupert," said Shepard. "You're my crew."

"And we're not Cerberus anymore," Miranda reminded the mess sergeant. "Not after the Collector Base. Who knows? Maybe Shepard can get you all postings to an Alliance ship."

"Unless Shepard's the skipper," said Rupert, "there's no way I'd serve an Alliance ship. Not after the way the Alliance blew off the Reapers and the Collectors."

"If they ever give me a command again after this," laughed Shepard, "I'll see what I can do. I actually look forward to eating with you doing the cooking."

The couple sat down with the rest of the crew, exchanging romantic smiles before they began eating, causing Miranda to giggle. It was cute; Shepard had never seen her giggle. In fact, there was a lot about her that had changed since they had met, but something had really changed in her since they talked about family and children. The conversation seemed to mark a turning point in their relationship, and Miranda seemed to have shed much of the self-doubt and emotional reservation that had marked their time together. He could not help himself and leaned in to kiss her.

"How daring of you, Commander," she purred. "What brought that on?"

"Just you," he said. "You're the best thing that ever happened to me, Miranda."

"You have no idea just how much I feel that way about you," she replied. Then she looked away. "Parting with you is going to be the hardest thing I've ever done." He gently turned her head back to face him.

"I'll find you, Miranda," he said with determination. "No matter how long it takes, no matter what the Reapers, or the Alliance for that matter, throw into our path, we'll be together. I promise you that."

"And I'll be waiting for you when you do." Miranda then kissed him. "Now, let's see what Sergeant Gardner has prepared for us."

As they began to eat, they were joined by Garrus, Tali, and Joker. It seemed that Gardner had gone to the trouble to make some fine dextro-based dishes specifically for the Turian and Quarian squad members.

"Damn, Shepard," exclaimed Garrus, "this is good! Damn good! To think a Cerberus chef prepared it!"

"This is better than anything I've tasted in the fleet," agreed Tali. "We can't get premium provisions, but most few non Quarians outside of the Turians bother to make dextro-based meals. And a cook from Cerberus would have been the last I would have expected."

"I think you two helping to take down Saren and being there to rescue the crew from the Collectors counted for a lot," noted Shepard. "And anyway, you're Garrus and Tali; everyone likes you two."

"Not everyone," lamented Tali, "but thank you, Shepard. Thanks to you, Garrus, Joker, and the original Normandy crew, I have the kind of friends I had only dreamed of having as a child." Then she became very nostalgic. "And oh, the adventures we've had."

"Yeah," laughed Joker. "You guys all make nearly dying on a regular basis fun. And no pilot has the kind of rep I've gotten out of the deal. Seriously, the Alliance will need to beef up my pay grade big time after this!"

"Death reminds you of life," said Thane as he joined the group. "Being in touch with one's own mortality is both freeing and motivating. Your life can end at any time, Joker, even without the threat of the Reapers. Few people really understand just how fragile their lives really are; even the Asari and the Krogan, who have long lifespans, can be snuffed out in an instant, just like the rest of us." Thane snapped his fingers to punctuate his statement. "All it takes is the right accident at the right time; you can slip, fall, and drown in two inches of water. Embrace your mortality, Joker; it is what makes us strong."

"Yeah, way to buzzkill the party mood, Thane," said Joker sarcastically. "Nice going."

"I disagree," said Miranda. "I get what he's saying; our mortality puts things into perspective; we should be free to do as we feel we must, as we have a limited time. But the fact that we could die at really any time makes things like … like parting with Shepard … all the more poignant. It would be easy to avoid making promises, commitments, but I refuse to let the risks we face keep me from doing so." Her face hardened for a moment, and she said, "I spent enough of my life avoiding things that meant a lot to me because of the expectations of others. I can't get those years back. But can make the most of the years I have left."

"Life and philosophy at a party," said Jacob, finally joining them. "Not very festive, guys."

"That's what I said," exclaimed Joker. "Then Miranda got all philosophical. What's up with that?"

"She's just showing off how smart she is," announced Garrus. "Not just a bookworm scientist cover operative; she's a philosopher too."

"I think this last mission has us all reflecting on life a bit more thoughtfully," noted Tali. "Makes you think about all the supposedly important expectations you were supposed to live up to."

"Which is why," said Miranda, putting an arm around Shepard, "I wanted to have a party. To hell with expectations!" She lifted her glass. "To life in the here and now, with the people we love!"

"Here, here," said Shepard, raising his glass. The rest of the table did the same, and then the rest of the room followed, though most had not heard Miranda's initial toast.

"And Merry Christmas, Shepard," said Thane. "I understand that that is the appropriate greeting this time of year in your culture."

"It is if you're Christian," he said. "And thank you, Thane. All of you. This is the best Christmas I've had in years."

"I just wish your mum could have been able to vid-chat with you," Miranda lamented.

"Oh, we'll do that tomorrow," announced the Commander. "I've already set it up."

"Shepard," protested Garrus, "I thought you couldn't do that this year because of being on a Cerberus ship?"

"I'm a Spectre," he gloated. "I'm above the law, remember?"

"And hard to kill," laughed Miranda.

"More like hard to keep dead," chided Jack, the last of the remaining team to join the group. She wore a leather vest she had picked up on Omega, rendering her just slightly more modest than normal, though the attitude was still present and accounted for. "Merry Christmas, Shepard." Jack then walked over to Shepard and hugged him. For that moment, the expression on her face softened, her usual sneer replaced by a genuine smile. "And thanks."

"For what?" asked a somewhat bewildered Shepard.

"For turning out to be real," she replied. "I've told you about my past; lots of fakes, lots of people who only cared about my biotic power and how they could cash in on it. You and your bunch, even the Cheerleader; you're different." Miranda bristled momentarily at Jack's calling her a cheerleader, but Jack continued. "You're real. You're … friends. And being there to see you and the Cheerleader tell the Illusive man to go fuck himself and blowing up his precious Collector base? That was the shit!"

"Too bad you missed my vid com chat with him when we got back," laughed Shepard. "I told him to fall in line or stay out of my way."

"If he likes living," mused Garrus, "he'll fall in line. Nobody who's gotten in your way has survived very long."

"Don't matter," spat Jacob. "That crazy bastard's indoctrinated for sure."

"That's why we blew up the base," said Miranda. "Sad really; once, I believed in what Cerberus stood for. But now? If he's indoctrinated, it doesn't matter what they stood for, and after seeing things from a new perspective, I'm not sure Cerberus ever really stood for what I thought."

"Regrets?" asked Garrus.

"No," replied Miranda. "I did a lot of good by being with Cerberus, as evinced by the ship we're all aboard and the resuscitation of the man I love. I was with Cerberus at the right place and right time. But times have changed and my place is elsewhere; here at Shepard's side; for a little while longer now, and forever once this is all over."

"God, yer makin' me gag," groaned Jack. "Hey, someone needs to play some music; this is a seriously dull party!"

"I have over fourteen hundred different genres in my files," announced Edi's synthesized voice over the intercom. "What style would you like me to play?"

"Heavy metal club mix," shouted Jack. A surprisingly large number of the crew cheered loudly at this.

"Loading selections now," replied Edi.

With that, loud, heavy music began playing. Jack grabbed one of the male crew members and took to the dance floor, Garrus and Tali following. Jacob looked at everyone and shrugged, and then got up and joined the crew in dancing.

"Shall we join them?" asked Miranda. "Might be the last chance we get."

"Yeah," said Shepard. "I know I can't dance, but what the hell."

Shepard and Miranda danced more conservatively than the rest of the crew, happy to be with each other. It was also the first real exercise they had engaged in since the Collector Base, and it seemed to lift both of their spirits. Shepard was surprised to see that Miranda was not only elegant, but she danced with the enthusiasm of a college aged girl at a club. As for Shepard, he just swayed in time with the music, never having been much of a dancer.

Finally, a slow song played, and he pulled Miranda close. She put her arms around him as he placed his hands at her hips. She kissed him as he pulled her tightly against him, his fingers squeezing gently just below her waistline.

"Oh, Shepard," she purred. "This is nice. You know, I never went to a school dance."

"Me neither," he said. "But you dance beautifully. Me? Not so much."

"Dancing was part of being cultured," she explained. "It was expected. But it was never fun. Not until now. You know, Jack calls me the cheerleader. Does that make you the quarterback?"

"I suppose it does," he laughed. "Never did much with organized sports until I enlisted; not much call for football on a starship. Did lots of hand to hand, though."

"You know you'll be back in the fight soon," she said softly. "I won't be able to see you once the Alliance gets their claws into you, but the Reapers will be here soon, and you'll be back on the front, taking them on. And I'll be cheering for you, even if you can't see me."

"Thanks. I need all the support I can get."

Shepard held her close, just enjoying her closeness, savoring every second of the dance. He noticed that a lot of the crew were doing the same, even if they were dancing with people they weren't romantic with. They all knew the score; galactic annihilation was imminent, and they wanted to enjoy what time they had left. Even Thane was sharing a dance with Doctor Chakwas, and Kelly Chambers was dancing with Jacob, though she glanced over at Shepard, Miranda's head against his chest, and gave him a thumbs up. He nodded back and smiled back at her, silently wishing a happily ever after with a loving partner for the perky yeoman. In the time aboard, she had become like a little sister to him. Garrus, Jacob, and Thane had become like brothers. _Heck_, he thought, _even Jack is like a delinquent little sister_. It surprised him how close he had become to his team and his crew. _Just one more thing to fight for_.

The Christmas party had turned out to be much more party than Christmas, but it was the present that they had all needed. Even if only briefly, there was peace on the Normandy. The Earth and the rest of the Galaxy would come later. He would make sure of that personally.


	7. Chapter 7 To Face the Music

**Final Act**

Commander Shepard was due to return to Earth; it was time to put on his dress blues and go face the music for both his time with Cerberus and the destruction of the Bahak relay. 300,000 Batarians had died as a result of the relay explosion, and while he had tried to warn them, realistically there was no way for them to actually evacuate. Was it the right thing to do? He believed that it was, but the sacrifice of so many lives weighed heavily on him. Three hundred thousand sacrificed for hundreds of billions of lives; yes, it was 'right,' but it certainly felt wrong.

With Miranda gone, running from both the Alliance and Cerberus, he wondered if he would ever see her again. They had each finally found the person they knew to be their true love, soul mate, and the spouse they wanted to settle down with, and it seemed as though all of that was about to be taken from them. Shepard felt betrayed; the very people he had saved had fought him tooth and nail all through the mission to stop Saren, only relenting after the Battle of the Citadel. It had not taken them long to backslide, and once they thought him dead, all that he had worked for had been undone. With his return, he had put yet another damper on the Reapers' plans, but he knew that it was only temporary.

And so it was with a bitter heart that he ordered the Normandy to Earth. Joker, Garrus, and Tali with him. Ken and Gabby had surprised him by staying on, also intending to testify on his behalf, but none of that made him feel any better. With the ship underway, he returned to his cabin to ponder state of the galaxy.

**The End**


End file.
